“But give me the sea,
    And from the old folks free,
    And we’ll wait for the tide to-night! 
    For the tide to-night-for the tide to-night.”

“He whose thoughts are not given to evil needs no censuring eyes,” thought I, as she turned, and tripping lightly towards me, flung her left arm round the waist of her companion who was a girl of slender form and features, and had a countenance in which pensiveness was deeply written; then, with her right hand resting gently upon her shoulder, she looked roguishly up in her face, for her eyes were of crystal blue, and beamed with mischief, and said, in a voice of much solicitude, “Rose, dear Rose! let me snatch away your troubles, for Nat Bradshaw, you know, always was a fool.  It’s a habit he’s got of kissing everybody who will let him.  And what’s worse, you can’t get it out of his head, little as it is, but that he is a great beauty-that everybody admires his white hand, and the big diamond I know he has’nt paid Tiffany for yet.  And because we girls, just to tease him, and have a bit of fun, invite him to polk with us, he’s got to fancying it’s all in admiration of his graceful bearing.  Oh! he is such a fool; and I don’t believe he’s got any money!  I don’t!  Just snap your fingers at Master Nat, and tell him not to try it again! that’s the way I do with such jokers.”  She spoke with so much simplicity, and in so sweet a voice, that the girl of the slender figure seemed at once to regain her spirits, while the major, who had given particular attention to this little episode, now stood in admiration at the beauty of the speaker’s face.  Then he approached me, and placing his lips close to my ear, whispered, “Pray say to them who I am, and leave me to take care of the rest.”  These words being overheard by the gay hearted belle, she turned on her heel coquettishly, and vaulting to where he of the tall figure stood, making certain inquiries of the captain concerning his voyage, locked her hands in his arm, and there leaned gracefully for a few moments.

Flora, for such was this damsel’s name, had her home in Madison Square, New York; and there was about her something so artless and yet so tantalizing, that her power over the affections was irresistible.  In fine, she was one of those dashing, merry hearted creatures, who make chaos of the affections to-day, and have a balm to heal them to-morrow.

CHAPTER XXIV.

Which treats of how the merry voyagers made much of major Roger Potter, and how they invited him to an interview with the commodore of the fleet.